ECE/RCTE/CONF.

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE
REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON TRANSPORT AND THE ENVIRONMENT

AGREEMENT CONCERNING THE ADOPTION OF UNIFORM CONDITIONS FOR PERIODICAL
TECHNICAL
INSPECTIONS OF WHEELED VEHICLES AND THE
RECIPROCAL RECOGNITION OF SUCH INSPECTIONS

DONE AT VIENNA ON 13 NOVEMBER 1997

_____________________

RECOGNIZING the growth of road traffic and the resultant increase in
danger and nuisance which presents all Contracting Parties with safety and
environmental problems of a similar nature and seriousness. The Rules shall be established through an
Administrative Committee made up of all the Contracting Parties in
conformity with the Rules of Procedure set out in Appendix 1 and on the
basis of the following paragraphs and articles.
HAVE AGREED as follows:
Article 1
The Contracting Parties shall establish Rules for periodical technical
inspections of wheeled vehicles registered or taken into service in their
territory and shall reciprocally recognize the inspections carried out in
accordance with those Rules.ECE/RCTE/CONF.
WHEREAS the fixing of the date of application of the measure referred
to in this Agreement should allow time for the administrative and technical
arrangements required for carrying out the tests to be set up or extended
in scope.
. whereas
the present systems of testing vary from one territory to another.
WHEREAS the time needed to carry out such Periodical Technical
Inspections of certain wheeled vehicles and the expense thereby incurred
are factors which can affect the competitive conditions between road-
transport operators in the territories of the Contracting Parties.
DESIRING to achieve greater uniformity in the rules governing road
traffic in Europe and to ensure a higher level of safety and protection of
the environment.
WHEREAS it is therefore necessary to harmonize as far as possible the
frequency of tests and the compulsory items to be tested./4
page 2
AGREEMENT CONCERNING THE ADOPTION OF
UNIFORM CONDITIONS FOR PERIODICAL
TECHNICAL INSPECTIONS OF WHEELED VEHICLES AND THE
RECIPROCAL RECOGNITION OF SUCH INSPECTIONS
Preamble
THE CONTRACTING PARTIES.
DESIRING to define for this purpose uniform conditions on Periodical
Technical Inspections of wheeled vehicles that it will suffice for these
vehicles to fulfil in order to be certified in their countries.

The Rule will be considered as adopted unless. A Rule. that the wheeled vehicle conforms to
the requirements of the given Rules.
(b) the equipment and/or parts to be inspected.
Article 2
1. include references to the test centres
.
(c) Test methods by which any performance requirements are to be
demonstrated. if needed. the term "rules for periodical technical
inspections of wheeled vehicles" shall include provisions for the proof of
the periodical administrative uniform procedure by which the competent
authorities of a Contracting Party declare. As soon as possible thereafter the Secretary-
General shall give notification of this Rule to the Contracting Parties. after the required
verifications have been carried out./4
page 3
For the purposes of this Agreement. more than one-third
of the Contracting Parties at the time of notification have informed the
Secretary-General of their disagreement with the Rule. shall be communicated by the Administrative
Committee to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
(d) Conditions for granting inspection certificate and their reciprocal
recognition
(e) The date(s) on which the Rule enters into force. within a period of six
months from its notification by the Secretary-General.
The Rule shall cover the following:
(a) the categories of wheeled vehicles concerned and the frequency of
its inspection. hereinafter
called "Secretary-General". ECE/RCTE/CONF.
the term "technical inspection" shall include the inspection of any
equipment and parts which are used on wheeled vehicles and whose
characteristics have a bearing on road safety. As proof shall serve a technical
inspection certificate the model of which is reproduced in Appendix 2 to
this Agreement.
the term "wheeled vehicles" shall include any motor vehicles and their
trailers. after having been established in accordance with the procedure
indicated in Appendix 1.
The Rule may. protection of the
environment and energy saving.

If./4
page 4
accredited by the competent authorities where the inspections of wheeled
vehicles may be carried out. The adopted Rule shall enter into force on the date(s) specified
therein as a Rule annexed to this Agreement for all Contracting Parties
which did not notify their disagreement. specifying which Contracting
Parties have objected and in respect of which the Rule shall not enter into
force. Any Contracting Party not applying a Rule may at any time notify the
Secretary-General that it intends henceforth to apply it. when depositing its instrument of
accession.
2.
5.
. The Secretary-General shall notify all the Contracting
Parties of every entry into force of a Rule for a new Contracting Party
effected in accordance with the terms of this paragraph. subject to one year's notice.ECE/RCTE/CONF.
the procedure laid down in paragraphs 1. The Contracting Parties for which a Rule is in force shall hereinafter
be referred to as "the Contracting Parties applying a Rule.
3. Such notification shall be communicated by
the Secretary-General to the other Contracting Parties. the Secretary-General shall communicate such
draft rule to the new Contracting Party and the draft shall enter into
force as a Rule for the new Contracting Party only on the conditions
specified in paragraph 3 of this Article. Any new Contracting Party may. Any Contracting Party applying a Rule may at any time notify the
Secretary-General."
8. When a Rule has been adopted the Secretary-General shall so notify as
soon as possible all the Contracting Parties. that its administration
intends to cease applying it. the time allowed being counted
from the date of the communication of the draft to that Party. declare that it is not bound by certain Rules then annexed to
this Agreement or that it is not bound by any of them.
6. at that time.
7. The Rules annexed to this Agreement as Addenda to this Agreement shall
form an integral part thereof. 2 and 3 of this Article is in
progress for a draft rule. The
Secretary-General shall notify all the Contracting Parties of the date of
such entry into force.
4. and the Rule will
then enter into force for this Party on the sixtieth day after this
notification. He shall also communicate to them all declarations
concerning the non-application of certain Rules that any Contracting Party
may make in accordance with the terms of this paragraph.

Article 4
1. ECE/RCTE/CONF. after having
been established. within
a period of six months from its notification by the Secretary-General. If. after this period. the Rule in question shall not enter into
force for that Contracting Party until two months after it has formally
accepted the amendment or two months after the lapse of a period of six
months since the communication to that Party by the Secretary-General of
the proposed amendment./4
page 5
Article 3
The Rules annexed to this Agreement may be amended in accordance with
the following procedure:
1. An amendment to the Rule. Amendments to Rules shall be established by the Administrative
Committee as described in Articles 1 and 2 and in accordance with the
procedure indicated in Appendix 1. An amendment to a Rule will be considered to be adopted unless.
3. more
than one-third of the Contracting Parties applying the Rule at the time of
notification have informed the Secretary-General of their disagreement with
the amendment. the Secretary-General shall as soon
as possible declare the amendment as adopted and binding upon those
Contracting Parties applying the Rule who did not declare themselves
opposed to it. the Secretary-General has not
received declarations of disagreement of more than one-third of the
Contracting Parties applying the Rule. Should a new Contracting Party accede to this Agreement between the
time of the notification of the amendment to a Rule by the Secretary-
General and its entry into force. shall be communicated by the Administrative Committee to
the Secretary-General. When a Rule is amended and at least one-fifth of the
Contracting Parties applying the unamended Rule subsequently declare that
they wish to continue to apply the unamended Rule. Countries members of the Economic Commission for Europe.
2. and regional economic
integration organizations set up by countries members of the Economic
Commission for Europe to which their Member States have transferred powers
. In this case the obligations of the
Contracting Parties applying the Rule shall be the same as set out in
paragraph 1. the unamended Rule will
be regarded as an alternative to the amended Rule and will be incorporated
formally as such into the Rule with effect from the date of adoption of the
amendment or its entry into force. As soon as possible thereafter the Secretary-
General shall give notification of this amendment to the Contracting
Parties applying the Rule. countries
admitted to the Commission in a consultative capacity in accordance with
paragraph 8 of the Commission's Terms of Reference.

For the determination of the number of votes referred to in Article 2.
paragraph 1 and in Article 3. Ratification or accession shall be effected by the deposit of an
instrument with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. This Agreement shall come into force on the sixtieth day after five of
the countries referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 4 thereof have signed
it without reservation of ratification or have deposited their instruments
of ratification or accession.
2.
Article 5
1. regional economic integration
organizations vote with the number of votes of their Member States being
members of the Economic Commission for Europe. The Agreement shall be open for signature from 12 November 1997 until
30 June 1998 inclusive. may become Contracting Parties to
this Agreement.
3. paragraph 2. Thereafter. it shall be open for accession.
(c) by acceding to it.
5. regional economic integration
organizations vote with the number of votes of their Member States being
Members of the United Nations.
paragraph 1 and in Article 3. including the power to make
binding decisions on their Member States. Countries Members of the United Nations as may participate in certain
activities of the Economic Commission for Europe in accordance with
Paragraph 11 of the Commission's Terms of Reference and regional economic
integration organizations of such countries to which their Member States
have transferred powers in the fields covered by this Agreement including
power to make binding decisions on their Member States may become
Contracting Parties to this Agreement.
(b) by ratifying it after signing it subject to ratification.ECE/RCTE/CONF.
. Countries under paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article may become
Contracting Parties to the Agreement:
(a) by signing it without reservation to a ratification.
2.
For the determination of the number of votes referred to in Article 2.
4. For any country ratifying or acceding to the Agreement after its entry
into force this Agreement shall enter into force on the sixtieth day after
the said country has deposited its instrument of ratification or accession./4
page 6
in the fields covered by this Agreement. paragraph 2.

declare by notification addressed
to the Secretary-General of the United Nations that this Agreement shall
extend to all or any of the territories for the international relations of
which it is responsible.
Article 8
1.
. Any country may. in accordance with the provisions
of Article 6. as from its entry into force. if on that day the Agreement has not
yet entered into force.
2. Any Contracting Party may denounce this Agreement by so notifying the
Secretary-General of the United Nations./4
page 7
Article 6
1. Any dispute which is not settled by negotiation shall be submitted to
arbitration if any one of the Contracting Parties in dispute so requests
and shall be referred accordingly to one or more arbitrators selected by
agreement between the Parties in dispute. so far as possible.
2.
2. at the time of signing this Agreement without
reservation of ratification or of depositing its instrument of ratification
or accession or at any time thereafter. The decision of the arbitrator or arbitrators appointed in accordance
with paragraph 2 of this Article shall be binding on the Contracting
Parties in dispute. If within three months from the
date of the request for arbitration the Parties in dispute are unable to
agree on the selection of an arbitrator or arbitrators. Any dispute between two or more Contracting Parties concerning the
interpretation or application of this Agreement shall.
Article 7
1.
be settled by negotiation between them. any of those
Parties may request the Secretary-General of the United Nations to nominate
a single arbitrator to whom the dispute shall be referred for decision. The Agreement shall extend to the territory or
territories named in the notification as from the sixtieth day after its
receipt by the Secretary-General or. ECE/RCTE/CONF. Any country which has made a declaration in accordance with paragraph 1
of this Article extending this Agreement to any territory for whose
international relations it is responsible may denounce the Agreement
separately in respect of that territory. Denunciation shall take effect twelve months after the date of receipt
by the Secretary-General of such notification.
3.

but any Contracting Party may.ECE/RCTE/CONF.
Article 10
The text of the Agreement itself and of its Appendices may be amended
in accordance with the following procedure:
1. as soon as possible. in accordance with the
terms of Article 1. and shall be of no
effect whatever.
who shall transmit it to all Contracting Parties and inform all other
countries referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 4 thereof. declare that it does not consider itself bound
by Article 8 of the Agreement. declare that it does not propose to apply certain of
the Rules or that it does not propose to apply any of them.
the amendment shall be deemed not to have been accepted./4
page 8
Article 9
1. the amendment
shall enter into force for all Contracting Parties three months after the
expiry of the period of six months referred to in paragraph 2 of this
Article.
2. If an objection to the proposed amendment has been expressed.
3. notify all
Contracting Parties whether an objection to the proposed amendment has been
expressed. Each Contracting Party may. ratifying or
acceding to this Agreement. Any Contracting Party may propose one or more amendments to this
Agreement and its Appendices. at the time of signing.
3. Any Contracting Party having entered a reservation as provided for in
paragraph 1 of this Article may at any time withdraw such reservation by
notifying the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The text of any proposed amendment to the
Agreement and its Appendices shall be transmitted to the Secretary-General. If no such objection has been expressed. The Secretary-General shall. Any proposed amendment circulated in accordance with paragraph 1 of
this Article shall be deemed to be accepted if no Contracting Party
expresses an objection within a period of six months following the date of
circulation of the proposed amendment by the Secretary-General. No other reservation to this Agreement or to the Rules annexed thereto
shall be permitted.
.
2. Other Contracting Parties shall not be
bound by Article 8 in respect of any Contracting Party which has entered
such a reservation.

____________
.
Article 13
After 30 June 1998 the original of this Agreement shall be deposited
with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. have
signed this Agreement. who shall transmit
certified true copies to each of the countries mentioned in paragraphs 1
and 2 of Article 4 thereof.
(e) declarations and notifications received in accordance with
paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 9. the undersigned.
DONE at Vienna on 13 November 1997 in a single copy in the English.
Article 12
Bodies or establishments designated and directly supervised by the
Contracting Party may carry out periodical technical inspections in
accordance with this Agreement on behalf of an other Contracting Party. ramifications and accessions in accordance with
Article 4. each text being equally authentic.
(b) the dates of entry into force of this Agreement in accordance with
Article 5. being duly authorized thereto. French
and Russian languages.
* * *
IN WITNESS WHEREOF. 3 and 5 of
this Agreement.
(c) denunciations in accordance with Article 6.
(f) the entry into force of any amendment in accordance with
paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 3. ECE/RCTE/CONF./4
page 9
Article 11
In addition to the notification provided for in Articles 2.
(g) the entry into force of any amendment in accordance with
paragraph 3 of Article 5. the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall notify
the Contracting Parties of:
(a) signatures.
(d) notifications received in accordance with Article 7.

A quorum of not less than half of the Contracting Parties applying the Rule
is required for the purposes of taking decisions.
Article 3
The Committee shall. For the determination of
the quorum. Each country.ECE/RCTE/CONF. being Contracting Parties to the Agreement.
Contracting Party to the Agreement applying the Rule shall have one vote. The representative of a
regional economic integration organization may deliver the votes of its
constituent sovereign countries./4
page 10
Appendix 1
COMPOSITION AND RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE
Article 1
The members of the Administrative Committee shall be composed of
all the Contracting Parties to the Agreement.
Article 4
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall convene the Committee
under the auspices of the Economic Commission for Europe whenever a new
Rule or an amendment to a Rule is required to be established. at its first session each year. vote
with the number of votes of their Member States. Each country. regional economic integration organizations. being Contracting
Parties to the Agreement. vote with the number of votes of their Member
. New Draft Rules shall be established by a
two-thirds majority of those present and voting. A quorum consisting of not
less than half of the Contracting Parties is required for the purposes of
taking decisions. For the determination of the quorum regional economic
integration organizations.
Article 2
The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe shall provide the Committee with secretariat services.
Article 6
Proposed amendments to Rules shall be put to the vote. elect a Chairman
and Vice-Chairman.
Article 5
Proposed new Rules shall be put to the vote. Contracting
Party to the Agreement shall have one vote.

ECE/RCTE/CONF. The representative of a regional economic integration organization
may deliver the votes of those of its constituent sovereign countries which
apply the Regulation./4
page 11
States.
_______
. Draft Amendments to Rules shall be established by a
two-thirds majority of those present and voting.

5 of the International Technical Inspection Certificate. granting the approval of compliance with the
inspection requirements of the relevant Rule(s) annexed to the 1997 Vienna
Agreement.
_________
. Items of the certificate and their content shall be printed in the
national language of the issuing Contracting Party by maintaining the
numbering. Handwritten. 12. A sample of them
shall be transmitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for
information to the Contracting Parties./4
page 12
Appendix 2
INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL INSPECTION CERTIFICATE
1. with a green cover and white inside pages.
2.
3. The International Technical Inspection Certificate shall contain the
information indicated hereafter. shall be in Latin characters. typed or computer generated entries on the International
Technical Inspection Certificate to be made exclusively by the competent
authorities. Accredited Technical Inspection Centres are responsible for conducting
the inspection tests.ECE/RCTE/CONF.
4. The periodical inspection reports which are in use in the Contracting
Parties to the Agreement may be used as an alternative.
5. and specifying the latest date of next inspection to be
indicated in line
No. It may be a booklet in format A6 (148x105
mm). the model
of which is reproduced hereafter. or a sheet of green or
white paper of format A4 (210x197) folded to format A6 in such a way that
the section containing the distinguishing sign of the state or of the
United Nations forms the top of the folded Certificate.

...........)))))))))))))))))))))-
...
2/ Title in French..................
* Space for the *
* distinguishing *
* sign of the state *
* or of the UN *
..........
(Administrative Authority responsible for technical inspection)
.......... ECE/RCTE/CONF.........................
. 1/
CERTIFICAT INTERNATIONAL DE CONTROLE TECHNIQUE 2/
1/ Title " INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL INSPECTION CERTIFICATE" in national
language./4
page 13
Appendix 2 (cont'd)
CONTENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL INSPECTION CERTIFICATE
+)))))))))))))))))))))......

....... The vehicle has to undergo its next technical inspection
according to the Rule(s) under No 6 not later than:
Date: (month/year). Signature......................................................
7.......................................................
2....... 1/
4.........
2/
1/ If available.... 1 and 2
which complies at the date under No 5 with the Rule(s) annexed to the 1997
Agreement on the Adoption of Uniform Conditions for Periodical Technical
Inspections of Wheeled Vehicles and the Reciprocal Recognition of such
Inspections....................
11............................................. Date . authority and state where the vehicle was registered for the
first time after its manufacture....... Date of first registration after the manufacturer.
3...... Issued by .ECE/RCTE/CONF.................. At(Place)........................................... First registration after the manufacture (State..............
2/ Seal or stamp of the authority issuing the certificate..
9... Date of the technical inspection................ Vehicle identification No..
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
6.............. This certificate is issued for the vehicle identified under Nos.......... Licence plate (Registration) No...............
.............
10...
8.......
5...../4
page 14
Appendix 2 (cont'd)
INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL INSPECTION CERTIFICATE
1............................. Authority)..